1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to game rackets and, more specifically, to rackets having elongated apertures in the yoke portion thereof to allow for elongation of the main strings of the racket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rackets for tennis and other sports, such as racquetball and squash, typically have one or two lengths of racket strings interwoven to create a mesh pattern. Generally, there are vertically oriented strings known as main strings, and horizontally oriented strings known as cross strings. The main strings and cross strings typically are strung through string holes provided about the perimeter of the head of the racket frame by professionals with equipment provided to obtain desired string tensions.
The frame of a racket often includes a handle, a Y-shaped throat, consisting of a pair of arms that diverge from the handle, and a generally inverted U-shaped head having a top and two sides. The bottom of the head, spanning the legs of the inverted U-shape, is typically occupied by a yoke portion, also known in the art as a throat bridge. While some rackets, such as the Bergelin LongString(TM) by MacGregor, as well as the racket shown in Stennett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,313, had strings that extended through string holes provided in the throat bridge, the string holes constrained the strings therein. Stennett's racket purportedly reduced vibrations by increasing the length of the main strings. However, it is actually the case that by increasing the racket string length, the racket string's natural frequency decreases, resulting in more vibration in the string bed.
Because there are benefits to extending the strings through the throat bridge, it would be desirable for a racket to have a throat bridge that could allow racket strings to pass therethrough, while sufficiently dampening the strings to minimize any increased vibration resulting from increased string length. It would be even more desirable if such a racket further decreased vibrations that would have existed in the string bed even if the string length were not increased. Also, it would be desirable for such a racket to be provided with a second bridge positioned beneath the throat bridge to increase the overall racket strength and stability. The second bridge also would provide a convenient point to provide conventional string holes so that the elongated strings could still be looped in the throat portion in a manner that did not require excessively overlength strings.